The Patriots picked up one of the more under the radar free agents this spring and one who will play a key if an unheralded role in the defense. Mike Pennel came available after the Jets declined his option and the Patriots quickly swooped in and signed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pennel, 28, who is listed at 6\u20194, 332 pounds fits what the Patriots like to do, especially on early downs with their defense. They want a big, immovable player to clog the middle, fill up the two gaps on either side of the nose and allow the linebackers to clean up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That fits Pennel to a tee. While he was surprised that the Jets decided to decline his option, making him a free agent, he knew exactly where he wanted to go. He mentioned with the new coaching regime there, that they would be making changes. After the final minicamp practice, Pennel spoke with the media about his time thus far with the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI knew I fit their scheme,\u201d Pennel said. \u201cIt was my first visit and although I took others, I knew this is where I wanted to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said he was aware of how the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick use nose tackles in the defense and Pennel was rated as one of the best run-stuffers in the league last season. Much like a former Patriot legend, Vince Wilfork. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked about Vince, he said, \u201cVince was one of my idols as a nose,\u201d Pennel said. \u201cComing out of Miami, I followed him closely. He was very productive early in his career and then settled into his role with Bill here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added, \u201cand then, later on, went to Houston and did the same thing. That played a big part in kind of being here. Just because knowing how Coach Bill (Belichick), what he does with nose tackles and things like that. Obviously, it\u2019s fundamentals and technique, but he\u2019s doing something special with those guys here to have them perform at that level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pennel mentioned that his defensive line coach with the Jets has a connection with Pats DL coach Bret Bielema. \u201cBret was actually friends with, Robert Nunn,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJoe Kim (Pats pass rush\/martial arts coach) has some experience with Nunn, so it\u2019s kind of the same technique and coaching-wise and nuances and little things like that they\u2019re coaching but with, it\u2019s just a lot more precise. Everything from the footwork, whether it\u2019s three inches outside or six inches, everything is very detailed-oriented. We practice it and try to do it better on game day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s always striving to learn something every day, something he said he learned from B.J Raji in Green Bay earlier in his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having been in the league for a while, Pennel said that he knew some of the players here and the transition to the locker room and the Pats DL room has been an easy one. \u201cI definitely didn\u2019t get the first day of school feeling here,\u201d he joked, adding. \u201cI\u2019ve known Lawrence Guy and he hosted Pennel on a recruiting trip to Arizona State. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve kept in contact with him and have seen his success here in New England. I\u2019m just learning the things that they like and don\u2019t like and we\u2019re just working things out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked about how the interaction and feeling is in the DL room with some new faces (including himself), he said it is all positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s excellent. It\u2019s just a range of guys, and I try to pick something up from everybody,\u201d Pennel said. \u201c(Michael) Bennett, speaks for itself. LG, I feel as if he had a Pro Bowl season last year, so any run tips I can get off of him. Danny (Shelton\u2026 great pass rusher from the inside. (David) Parry\u2019s been a vet. Ufomba (Kamalu), KD (Keionta Davis), they\u2019ve got Super Bowls. It\u2019s just everyone in there you can learn something from. I\u2019ve never won a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, I missed the playoffs for the last two seasons of my career, so those guys know a little something about playing in January, so I just try to pick up everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Playing alongside Guy is a plus for him he added. \u201cKnowing that he\u2019s a top run defender in the league and last year I excelled a little bit in the run, so hopefully, we can do something good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So getting to play in January was a selling point for New England, he was asked? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t have to sell that point,\u201d he said laughing. \u201cThis is where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt\u2019s excellent. It\u2019s just a range of guys, and I try to pick something up from everybody,\u201d Pennel said. \u201c(Michael) Bennett, speaks for itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":23635,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1913,11,10],"tags":[34,1890,2047,1430,1227,1939,44,47,2046,166],"class_list":["post-23634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2019-patriots-offseason-patriots-news","category-patriots-commentary","category-patriots-news","tag-bill-belichick","tag-bret-bielema","tag-joe-kim","tag-lawrence-guy","tag-michael-bennett","tag-mike-pennel","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-new-york-jets","tag-robert-nunn","tag-vince-wilfork"],"yoast_head":"\n